5o PERSIAN PICTURES
turies, bringing with them their own dole of
tragedy and sorrow, have not dimmed it, nor
lessened the feeling which its recital creates, partly,
no doubt, because of the fresh breeze of religious
controversy which has swept the dust of time per-
petually from off it, but partly, too, because of its
own poignant simplicity. The splendid courage
which shines through it justifies its long existence.
Even Hussein's enemies were moved to pity by his
patient endurance, by the devotion of his followers,
and by the passionate affection of the women who
were with him. The recorded episodes of that
terrible tenth of Muharram are full of the pure
human pathos which moves and which touches
generation after generation. It is not necessary
to share the religious convictions of the Shiahs to
take a side in the hopeless battle under the burning
sun, or realize that tragic picture of the Imam
sitting before his tent-door with the dead child in
his arms, or lifting the tiny measure of water to
lips pierced through by an arrow-shot—a* draught
almost as bitter as the sponge of vinegar and
hyssop. * Men travel by night,' says Hussein in
the miracle play, ' and their destinies travel to-
wards them/ It was a destiny of immortal
memory that he was journeying to meet on that
march by night through the wilderness, side by
side with El Hurr and the Khalifs army.
Shortly after we landed in Persia we came un-
expectedly upon the story of the martyrdom. In
the main street of Kasvin, up which we were